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Friday, 27 September 2013

Friday 27th September 2013

In a fresh ENE, sea-watching was dismal apart from a moulting adult Black Guillemot (12th record, probably our 10th bird) which flew into the breeze at 07:30. A small skua, presumably a small Arctic Skua rose briefly and landed far offshore; little else out there except for a Merlin that zipped through late morning. Only a neap tide, but still produced lots of interest, the highlight an adult Black Brant (3rd site record) with >100 Dark-bellied Brent Geese, visible from the hide for a few hours. Hundreds more Brent further up the estuary were evidence of a large influx of wildfowl, enhanced with 2 Pintail, 11 Teal and 2 Shoveler in off the sea, which joined many hundreds of Wigeon in the estuary corner. Waders also featured, highlights being a Ruff and 3 juv Curlew Sandpiper, also 61 Ringed Plover, 2 Grey Plover, 430 Dunlin, 7 Knot and 5 Black-tailed Godwit. The flock of 408 Great Black-backed Gull had colour-ringed individuals from Looe, Cornwall, the Channel Islands and Normandy; typical sources. The usual Slavonian Grebe, a ss/sw Mediterranean Gull and a juv Common Tern were also present in the estuary. A Peregrine again stood in The Bight for a while, no prey this time.The bushes and dunes were hard going in the fresh breeze, but also managed to get in on the action with a Whinchat; also 6 Wheatear, 7 Blackcap, 7 Chiffchaff, a Goldcrest, 4 Reed Bunting and a White Wagtail on the shoreline.Much less overhead today, a Grey Wagtail, 2 Yellow Wagtail, 12 Swallow, 21 Meadow Pipit, 3 Rook, regular Starling flocks flew NE, and a Chaffinch.